About Dental Resin

Nearly everyone will suffer from a cavity at some point, and dental resin fillings play a vital role in the treatment of cavities and in maintaining dental health. Considered safer and more durable than traditional metal fillings, most dentists and insurance companies currently prefer resin fillings to all other types.

History

• Composite resin dental fillings were created as an alternative to traditional silver, gold or other types of metal fillings. Although metal fillings were effective, they were cosmetically unappealing and tended to turn black with time. Composite resin fillings are made of plastic and colored to match natural teeth.

Function

• Resin fillings serve to fill the hole left in a tooth that has been drilled and cleaned out due to a cavity. Fillings not only protect teeth from further damage, they also act to camouflage damage and create a more natural appearance. Composite resin can also be used to strengthen and enhance the natural structure of a tooth, and may be used to enhance the appearance of permanently discolored or damaged teeth.

Features

• Modern composite resin fillings consist of a paste formed by combining a mixture of cross-linking agents, or resins, and dimethacrylate monomers with silane-coated ceramic particles, up to 80 percent by weight. After exposure to 30 seconds of strong visible blue light, a chemical initiator within the composite is activated and the resins undergo free radical addition polymerisation. This effectively turns the filling into a strong and durable product that is extremely effective.

Benefits

• Composite resin fillings are durable, strong and more resistant to discoloration than metal fillings. Most dental insurance plans cover the use of this type of filling, as over time the use of composite resin is more cost effective than the use of metal fillings. Metal, or amalgam fillings, have been known to contain mercury. The safety of this type of filling has been under review, as the absorption of mercury over time has been linked to a large number of serious diseases including Alzheimer's, multiple sclerosis and arthritis. Resin dental fillings do not contain mercury and do not carry this risk.

Warning

• Although most experts would argue that there is no known health risk associated with using resin dental fillings, the saliva of patients treated with some resins does contain detectable levels of bisphenol A (BPA), which has been linked to a variety of health conditions. However, a review of numerous key studies failed to show significant levels of BPA in saliva or in the bloodstream, and these studies have concluded there is no known risk to human health. But it is recommended by some experts that people who have been treated with resin fillings keep current on future studies on the topic.